I know it has been a while that I posted something on my blog,
but I’ve been so busy the last couple of months.
I finished my internship, had some exams, finished some other tasks, gone on some beautiful trips.
I’ve been to Corsica, Dubai, South Africa, Zimbabwe/Victoria falls, Botswana/Okavango delta and many more. I will talk about those trips through “throwback” posts. So I could post from now on and keep the blog back up-to-date.
The same for my USA trip, I will update those posts later on and talk about all the things I have done while I was there, through throwback posts.
Another big step I’ve made in the meantime is that I started working again. Since the end of September I’ve become the new business development manager of the Benelux team of Adsimilis. (part of DQNA Media Group). I’ll say more about that in another post.
I will start by posting the things what I’m doing in real time, and later when I have found some additional time, I will update all the things I have done in the past. Otherwise I will keep on delaying posting posts, because I’ve haven’t found the time to update the “bigger” posts ☺.
Thanks in advance for reading my blog and I hope you enjoy it.
This summer, spending time with your interns, is not only an opportunity to test-drive potential future employees but a chance to learn a few things in the process.
1. Interns Are Hungry – Interns arrive eager and ready to learn. They are sponges, ready to soak up any information and take advantage of any opportunities that come their way. This is not a ‘job’ to them, it’s an ‘experience’. They ask questions that we asked but now have baked into the assumptions of the business. But guess what? The world has changed – use this as an opportunity to retest those baked assumptions – and teach at the same time.
It is this type of environment that we, as entrepreneurs, need to create and instill within our entire team and in our company culture. We should always be learning, developing our skills, and, of course, enjoying what we do.
stay connected
2. Interns Build Relationships – Twenty-something’s lives have been surrounded by the opportunity to build relationships. Whether it’s through personal or online interactions (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter), building relationships is second nature to this generation. A good network is critical to success and your interns will be taking advantage of the opportunity to meet people in their field, gain exposure to the right people and start to build relationships they will have for years to come.
Interns are part of your network – all of who will be in key positions in the next decade – leverage their network today and their future network.
Mentor
3. Interns Leverage Mentors – Just like building your network, you are never too old to benefit from a mentor. At some point, most interns will find a great mentor that will help guide them, provide invaluable introductions, advice and opportunities. What you may not know is that being a mentor is as rewarding as having one.
Think Big
4. Interns Think Big – Did you know that an intern created the New York Times most popular piece of content in 2013? An intern at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA developed software that NASA will soon use to store data in a public cloud? Sounds crazy, but it’s true.
Interns are great because the sky is the limit. They aren’t afraid to try new things … as long as you allow them the freedom to do so. Soak up their aspirations and encourage creativity and innovation among your team. Listen to your team and give them enough room to run with an idea and be creative. You might be surprised at what comes out of them.
Fun
5. Interns Know How to Have Fun – I have never met an intern that doesn’t know how to have fun. Yes, being 20 helps, but we all need to remember that it’s okay to take time to relax, be social and have fun. Take your interns to a baseball game or for a double decker bus tour of your town. Better yet, ask them for their ideas.
